Two people were killed in a double shooting, according to New Orleans police. The incident took place in the Lower 9th Ward, a predominantly black neighborhood affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Residents heard gunfire and screaming but authorities have not released the identities of the victims. A family member identified one of the victims as 13-year-old Byron Kelly Jr. Kelly was walking to meet a friend when shots were fired.
According to police, a shootout broke out outside a New Orleans high school graduation ceremony. Two females got into a fight that ended in gunfire. One suspect was arrested at the scene. Police claim that the victims were shot in their abdomens and heads. Several shots were fired in the incident. Police recovered several guns but did not release their identities. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said he felt bad for the victims.
The suspect has not been identified as of yet, but police are looking for an African-American male between the ages of 18 and 22. An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect, and a cash reward has been offered for information leading to his arrest. 19 people were injured in the shooting, including two children. Police aren’t yet certain who is responsible for the shooting, but they claim they don’t know the motives. According to an FBI spokesperson, the shooting was a result of street violence in New Orleans. Akein Scott was arrested for illegal possession of stolen firearms, resisting arrest and carrying a firearm while being in possession of heroin.
Last year, Mayor LaToya Cantrell established an office to combat gun violence in the city. In that same report, she noted that the city had at least 145 murders per year. New Orleans had the seventh highest murder rates among major U.S. cities over the past 50 years. She urged local officials to implement measures that would reduce gun violence and make the city a safer place to live. The plan calls for community-based services that target at-risk communities.
Police released the names and ages for the victims of the New Orleans shooting. The victims ranged in age from 20 to 37. The shooting occurred during the Bayou Classic game, so police in the area were particularly alert and responded quickly. Two men were arrested by police on suspicion of firearms offenses. The investigation continues. A motive has not been determined, but authorities are trying to find the killers. The New Orleans Police Department is still investigating.
In a report on the shooting in New Orleans, the U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The group found that prosecutors had secretly withheld documents for the case in the 1990s. A key witness had repeatedly changed her story before the trial, and other witnesses had given different descriptions of Dent. Therefore, the case was thrown into a retrial.